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Durham: Pao Lim

Taking the advice of the proprietor of the Asian Market in Durham, my wife and I headed just down 15-501 to Pao Lim. The menu is a mix of Americanized Chinese and pan-Asian dishes (pakoras even), but all the same the fare isn't bad at all: fresh and well-flavored, with the hot-oil sheen that can only come from a wok cooking over very high heat. It's too bad that the food is so Americanized (I spotted General Tso's chicken on many tables) because I suspect that the chef could do something more interesting if he thought there was a clientelle for it. Picking one's dishes carefully, one could probably cobble together a very good meal.

On the positive side of the Americanization issue, the room is bright, clean, and well-appointed, and completely free of carved dragons and paintings of the Great Wall of China. A pleasant place to dine.

This veggie-packed sheet pan shakshuka is easy to prep and, equally important, an absolute breeze to clean up. It’s a great meatless weeknight meal option, and would also make for an impressive no-fuss brunch entree for a crowd.

This incredibly rich beverage is anything but your nana’s hot cocoa. Incorporating tahini into this dairy-free hot chocolate adds a decadent layer of warming nuttiness that’s a perfect partner to the robust flavors of cocoa and vanilla.